Going for Gold

When you're fighting for a championship with a powerhouse team like the Italian squad captained by Maria-Teresa Lavazza, it's important to get off to a strong start. If you get behind against that juggernaut, you are likely to be blown out.

Thus the Indonesian team which met the Italians in the Power Rosenblum final had to be a bit disappointed at their missed chances in the first set, which ended with Lavazza on top 41-27.

For vugraph purposes, the open room plays later boards first. The Munawar team missed an opportunity on the second deal played. Franky Karwur and Danny Sacul of the Munawar team faced Giorgio Duboin and Norberto Bocchi of Team Lavazza.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª J 8 5 © 10 ¨ K J 6 § K Q 8 6 5 2
ª K 4 © 8 5 ¨ 9 8 7 5 § J 10 7 4 3		ª 10 6 3 © A 9 7 6 3 ¨ A Q 10 § A 9
	ª A Q 9 7 2 © K Q J 4 2 ¨ 4 3 2 § -

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
			1ª
Pass	2§	2©	Pass
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Sacul's 2© overcall risked a huge penalty, but even worse, it got his partner off to the wrong lead. On his own, given the auction, Karwur almost certainly would have led a diamond through the process of elimination. The contract then would have had no play whatsoever.

Even on the lead of the ©8, however, the contract should have failed, but the Indonesians let it through.
Sacul won the ©A and continued with a heart. Duboin put in the jack and discarded a diamond from dummy. He thought about his play for some time before trying a diamond to dummy's jack. Sacul won the ¨Q and could have scuttled the contract right away by cashing the ¨A, but he persisted in hearts.

Duboin played the ©K , ruffed by Karwur with the ª4. Duboin overruffed in dummy and called for the §K. Sacul covered with the ace, Duboin ruffed and played the ©Q. Karwur ruffed with the ªK, but Duboin pitched dummy's ¨K and was able to take the rest of the tricks by ruffing two losers in dummy and throwing one on dummy's §Q.
Incredibly, Duboin had scored up the vulnerable game.

In the other room, the §J was led, setting up one trick for a diamond discard when South was able to ruff out the §A, but the contract was still set for a 12-IMP gain for the Italians.

On the first board, the Indonesians landed in an inferior contract but came up with a plus position anyway.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª A 6 3 2 © 10 2 ¨ A 10 6 4 § K 5 2
ª Q 9 7 © K 6 4 ¨ K 7 2 § A J 9 7		ª K 10 4 © A Q 8 ¨ Q 9 8 5 § Q 6 3
	ª J 8 5 © J 9 7 5 3 ¨ J 3 § 10 8 4

In the closed room, Alfredo Versace and Lorenzo Lauria arrived in the 3NT contract the rest of the world would find considering that each hand has 13 high-card points.

If you don't play spades the right way, however, it's tough to take nine tricks with the East-West cards, and the Italians wound up minus 50.

In the open room, Italian bidding kept Karwur and Sacul from bidding the game, but it was to the benefit of the Indonesians.

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
	1NT (1)	Pass	2¨
Pass	2©	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	2NT	Pass
3§	Pass	3¨	All Pass

(1) 10-12

Karwur apparently interpreted the 2NT bid as showing the minors, and the two landed in the 4-3 diamond fit. They had so much high-card strength between the two hands, however, that it didn't matter. Duboin led a low heart to the 10 and queen, and Sacul played a diamond to the king and ace. A heart was returned to the king, and Sacul played a diamond to the queen, dropping the jack, then drove out the 10. On winning the diamond return in hand, Sacul took the club finesse, claiming after Bocchi won the §K and cashed the ªA. That was plus 110 and 4 IMPs to Indonesia.

On the next deal, Eddie Manoppo had legitimate reason for feeling unlucky.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª A Q 9 © K 10 5 ¨ A K 3 § K 9 3 2
ª 6 5 © J 9 8 7 6 2 ¨ 9 6 5 § 10 6		ª 10 8 4 3 2 © A Q ¨ 10 4 2 § J 5 4
	ª K J 7 © 4 3 ¨ Q J 8 7 § A Q 8 7

West	North	East	South
Versace	Manoppo	Lauria	Lasut
		Pass	1¨
1©	Dble	2©	Pass
3©	6NT	All Pass

That is not an auction you're likely to see again. Manoppo must have been fairly confident of making his slam after West's overcall, but with the ©A Q in the East hand, 11 tricks were the limit.

There was interference in the open room as well, but it didn't serve the Indonesians well.

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
		Pass	1§
3©	Dble	Pass	3ª
Pass	3NT	Pass	4¨
Pass	4NT	All Pass

Despite his high-card points, Bocchi didn't fancy getting too high with the North-South cards, and he was right to be conservative. Sacul started with the ©A, giving up the overtrick, and it was 13 IMPs to the Italians.

Looking at the two auctions from Board 3, you would never guess that they occurred on the same deal.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª Q 10 4 © K 9 2 ¨ A Q 7 5 3 § K J
ª A 9 7 6 2 © J 8 7 4 3 ¨ 8 § A 8		ª 8 © A Q 10 6 ¨ J 10 2 § 9 7 6 5 3
	ª K J 5 3 © 5 ¨ K 9 6 4 § Q 10 4 2

West	North	East	South
Versace	Manoppo	Lauria	Lasut
			Pass
1ª	2¨	Dble	3¨
3©	Pass	4©	All Pass

Versace doesn't appear to have many losers, but he is critically short in winners - 4© has no legitimate play and indeed was down one for minus 100.

In the open room:

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
			Pass
Pass	1NT	Pass	2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	3¨
Pass	3©	Pass	3ª
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Karwur didn't fancy opening 1ª on his 9 high-card points, so the Italians had a free run in the auction, only to land in a reasonable but ill-fated contract.

Sacul led the §7, and when Bocchi played low from dummy, Karwur inserted the 8. Bocchi won the §J and, with no other option, started on spades. Karwur won the ªA and, knowing his partner had four hearts, made no mistake about which card to play. The ©J fetched the king and ace and Sacul gave the Indonesia partisans in the vugraph audience some anxious moments by taking some time before continuing hearts. He did so at last, however, and the defenders had seven tricks for plus 150 and a 6-IMP gain.

The Italians posted another double-digit swing on this deal when Manoppo misplayed a notrump contract in the closed room.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª K J 10 9 5 © A 4 3 ¨ A 8 § 7 5 4
ª 3 2 © 10 7 5 ¨ Q 9 7 6 § J 10 6 2		ª Q 8 7 4 © K J 6 2 ¨ 10 2 § A 8 3
	ª A 6 © Q 9 8 ¨ K J 5 4 3 § K Q 9

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
	1ª	Pass	2§
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	2NT	Pass	3§
Pass	3ª	Pass	3NT
All Pass

The 2§ bid was artificial, 2¨ showed a minimum hand, 2© was a relay asking for more information and 2NT showed 11-13 with 5332 shape.

Sacul led the ©2: 8, 10, A. Bocchi then played a spade to the ace and a spade to the jack. In with the ªQ, Sacul played a low heart, but Bocchi could not misguess. He won the ©Q and, confident that the opponents couldn't defeat him with heart tricks, played the §K from dummy. Sacul won and could cash two hearts, but that was it for the defense. Bocchi had four spades, two hearts, two diamonds and a club for plus 600.

West	North	East	South
Versace	Manoppo	Lauria	Lasut
	1ª	Pass	2¨
Pass	2NT	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Lorenzo Lauria also led a low heart to the 10 and ace and Manoppo, intent on protecting his ©Q, played the ªJ and let it ride. A spade went to the ace and, back in his hand with the ¨A, Manoppo cashed the ªK. Despite having found the ªQ, he was in trouble. He could knock out the ªQ, but he would have no way to get back to the spade winner.

When the diamond finesse lost, the defenders could clear hearts and defeat the contract with one spade, two hearts, a diamond and the §A. That was down one and 12 IMPs to Lavazza.

The next deal wast not a triumph in bidding for their pair.

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª 2 © 9 5 4 ¨ J 9 6 5 3 § K 10 3 2
ª J 10 7 © J 10 ¨ A Q 8 2 § Q 9 6 5		ª 9 6 5 3 © A 8 2 ¨ K 10 7 4 § 8 7
	ª A K Q 8 4 © K Q 7 6 3 ¨ - § A J 4

Closed room:
West	North	East	South
Versace	Manoppo	Lauria	Lasut
		Pass	1§ (1)
Pass	1¨ (2)	Pass	2ª
Pass	3¨	Pass	3©
Pass	3NT	All Pass

(1) Precision.
(2) Negative.

The heart game seems just about impregnable, while 3NT is a silly contract. Lauria led a club, giving declarer three tricks in that suit, and he played a heart to the king at trick two. He guessed correctly to play the ©Q at trick three, but Lauria won the played a diamond, allowing the defenders to take the next four tricks for down one.

This was the auction in the open room.

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
		Pass	1ª
Pass	1NT	Pass	2§ (1)
Pass	2NT	Pass	5§
All Pass

(1) Forcing

Karwur started with the ©J, taken by Sacul with the ace. He returned the suit and, in with the ©K, Duboin thought about his next play for a long time before playing the §J. Karwur covered with the queen, dooming the club game. In fact, Duboin finished three down. Hoping for 3-3 trumps, he played a club to the ace, a club to the 10 and three rounds of spades. The spade ruff in dummy was his last trick, as Karwur ruffed the heart and the defenders cashed their diamonds. That was another 3 IMPs to Munawar.

On this deal, busy bidding by Karwur and Sacul was enough to keep Bocchi and Duboin from reaching their slam.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª 8 © A J 7 2 ¨ A K 6 § K J 7 4 2
ª J 9 7 6 2 © 3 ¨ J 2 § A 10 8 5 3		ª 10 5 4 © Q 9 8 5 4 ¨ 9 8 4 3 § 6
	ª A K Q 3 © K 10 6 ¨ Q 10 7 5 § Q 9

In the closed room, Manoppo and Henky Lasut had the auction to themselves with the North-South cards, and they reached 6NT by South. It was an easy make after Versace led his singleton heart.

West	North	East	South
Karwur	Bocchi	Sacul	Duboin
Pass	1§	1©	Dble
1ª	Dble	Pass	2©
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Karwur led a low spade to the 10 and A. The §Q was next. West won the ace and continued spades. The §9 went to the 10 and king and a low heart was played to declarer's 10. That was 12 tricks in but 11 IMPs out.

This deal was a push but it is worth noting for the unusual North hand and the way it was bid in the two rooms.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª - © K 9 8 3 2 ¨ - § Q J 9 8 7 6 4 3
ª K J 8 5 4 2 © 7 5 ¨ A K 6 5 § A		ª 7 6 3 © A Q 10 4 ¨ Q 7 4 2 § 10 2
	ª A Q 10 9 © J 6 ¨ J 10 9 8 3 § K 5

In the open room, Bocchi simply let loose with a 5§ bid in first seat. Karwur, West, doubled when it came around to him, and Sacul sat for it. The Indonesians took their four defensive tricks for plus 300.

In the closed room:

West	North	East	South
Versace	Manoppo	Lauria	Lasut
	Pass (!)	Pass	1¨
1ª	2©	2ª	Pass
4ª	5§	Dble	All Pass

The same tricks were available to Lauria and Versace for a push.